Apple worked with Chinese automaker BYD for years, developing batteries that helped lay the groundwork for tech used today, according to people familiar with the situation.

For years, Apple was rumored to be working on a futuristic self-driving car, with the company tied to collaborations with Volkswagen and even a potential deal to buy McLaren at one point. That never happened and the project was canned after ten years,

A partnership between the two companies started around 2017, according to the report, with the goal of developing lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells for the Apple car. BYD has much experience with this tech, claiming cooling and safety improvements for its Blade battery introduced in 2020.